1961: Gable’s Last Movie: Prelude to Tragedy – Dear Mr. Gable 1961: Gable’s Last Movie: Prelude to Tragedy Gable’s Last Movie: Prelude to Tragedy LOOK magazine, January 31, 1961 To Clark Gable, The Misfits meant full circle to a long career. He was once more playing the footloose, carefree type of man he liked and understood. This time, his role was a present-day cowboy named Gay who refuses to give up his individuality as “the last of the free men”. “Isn’t Gay a wonderful man?” Gable would ask his friends. He was also elated with playwright Arthur Miller’s first movie script and his teaming with Marilyn Monroe, his most combustible leading lady since Jean Harlow. His happiness was multiplied by his wife’s pregnancy—his first child. “I want to be with that baby all the time,” he said. But The Misfits was The King’s farewell appearance. Within days after the film was completed, the most respected star of them all was dead. GABLE: His virile hulk towered over the movies for 30 years.

He was a six-footer with hefty shoulders, narrow hips, ham-sized hands. At 59, the lines in his face had grown deep, his hair had grayed, but he still had his figure—after dieting off 35 pounds to his usual 192 for The Misfits. In a profession that engenders jealousy, Clark Gable was never attacked. An actor who has worked in Hollywood for 20 years says of him, “I have never heard anyone say an unfriendly word against him. In our business, this is about the finest tribute you can expect.” MONROE: In The Misfits, she is the last of the great film beauties to whom Gable made love. The screenplay, her estranged husband’s long-promised “ode to Marilyn”, gave her the chance that every female movie star always hoped for. She says, “When I was growing up, Clark Gable represented everything I idealized—and to find that that ideal was all I ever dreamed of, plus so much more—more human, warmer!

I am sorry he didn’t always receive the recognition for his acting that he deserved—because he cared so very much…” THE TRAGEDY: Gable’s death was also a tragedy for the movie industry. He occupied a place no one will ever fill. A worker until the end, he did stunts in The Misfits that no man of his age should have tried, but he was a professional, and the scenes required realism. He stood upright on the hood of a car, fell across it, tumbled to the ground. He ran 100 yards for the camera at high altitude in 106-degree heat and repeated this action several times. In another scene, while wrestling with a wild stallion, he was tied to a rope and dragged along the ground face down. “Isn’t it wonderful—an old bloke like me going to be a papa!” he said, announcing the news. His five years with last wife, Kay, were among the most fulfilling of his life. After The Misfits, he turned down all work.

“When our baby is born in March,” he said, “I don’t think I’ll be wanting to work until September, 1961.” Leave a Reply The Misfits (1961) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error A divorcee falls for an over-the-hill cowboy who is struggling to maintain his romantically independent lifestyle. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 31 titles created 15 Sep 2011 a list of 23 titles created 20 Oct 2011 a list of 23 titles created 15 Aug 2013 a list of 30 titles created 12 Sep 2014 a list of 41 titles created 9 months ago Search for " The Misfits " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin.

1 win & 1 nomination. See more awards » Photos A naive but stubborn cowboy falls in love with a saloon singer and tries to take her away against her will to get married and live on his ranch in Montana. Director: Joshua Logan When billionaire Jean-Marc Clement learns that he is to be satirized in an off-Broadway revue, he passes himself off as an actor playing him in order to get closer to the beautiful star of the show, Amanda Dell. Director: George Cukor An American showgirl becomes entangled in political intrigue when the prince regent of a foreign country attempts to seduce her. Director: Laurence Olivier The title river unites a farmer recently released from prison, his young son, and an ambitious saloon singer. In order to survive, each must be purged of anger, and each must learn to understand and care for the others. Directors: Otto Preminger, Jean Negulesco Stars: Robert Mitchum, Marilyn Monroe, Rory Calhoun As two couples are visiting Niagara Falls, tensions between one wife and her husband reach the level of murder. Director: Henry Hathaway When his family goes away for the summer, a so far faithful husband is tempted by a beautiful neighbor.

Director: Billy Wilder Three women set out to find eligible millionaires to marry, but find true love in the process. Director: Jean Negulesco Showgirls Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw travel to Paris, pursued by a private detective hired by the suspicious father of Lorelei's fiancé, as well as a rich, enamored old man and many other doting admirers. Director: Howard Hawks Molly and Terry Donahue, plus their three children, are The Five Donahues. Son Tim meets hat-check girl Vicky and the family act begins to fall apart. Director: Walter Lang A major heist goes off as planned, until bad luck and double crosses cause everything to unravel. Director: John Huston A chemist finds his personal and professional life turned upside down when one of his chimpanzees finds the fountain of youth. Director: Howard Hawks After being dumped by his girlfriend, an airline pilot pursues a babysitter in his hotel and gradually realizes she's dangerous. Director: Roy Ward Baker Edit Storyline Roslyn Taber, the type of woman who turns heads easily, recently came to Reno to get a quickie divorce, she having no idea what to do with her life after that.

She cannot tolerate seeing animal suffering, let alone human suffering. Coinciding with getting the divorce, Roslyn meets friends Gay Langland and Guido, a divorced aging grizzled cowboy and a widowed mechanic respectively. Although Guido makes no bones about wanting to get to know Roslyn in the biblical sense and although he "saw her first", Roslyn begins a relationship with Gay, despite Roslyn's friend Izzy Steers, who originally came to Reno years ago to get her own divorce and never left, warning her about cowboys as being unreliable, and despite Roslyn initially not being interested in Gay "in that way". Gay has grown children who he rarely sees and wishes he was there for more than was the case. Gay and Roslyn move into the under construction farmhouse owned by Guido, which he was building for his wife before she died. ... Written by Huggo It shouts and sings with life ... explodes with love! See more » Genres: 1 February 1961 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Did You Know? Trivia United Artists executives were unhappy with the rough cut of the film, so director John Huston , producer Frank E.

Taylor , and writer Arthur Miller all agreed to reshoot several scenes. Clark Gable had script approval, however, and he rejected the idea. Other disagreements over the final cut resulted in the elimination of a shot of Marilyn Monroe 's naked breast from the bedroom scene. See more » Goofs When Monroe and Cliff are behind the bar sitting near an old car and a pile of beer cans, the cans change places from cut to cut when seen from behind Monroe down to Cliff. See more » Quotes [first lines] Isabelle Steers : Young man, do you have the time? I got six clocks in the house and none of them work. Guido : Twenty after nine. Isabelle Steers : After? It's twenty after, dear. Dahlin'. Five minutes. Roslyn : What about you? Isabelle Steers : I'm all set, I just tyin' my sling. The lawyer said nine thirty sharp, dahlin'. See more » Crazy Credits There are no closing credits of any kind. Not even the words "THE END" appear on the screen.

See more » Connections (Perth, WA) – See all my reviews The Misfits, the last film of Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe, is a truly haunting film that never leaves you long after you've finished watching it. Despite having a poor box office and mixed reviews, it is now highly regarded among modern critics. It is about a restless fragile divorcée finding a new life in Reno with a couple of cowboys, one of which has a gambling problem and survives on slaughtering mustangs to make dog food. Not only does this showcase Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable's exceptional (and often underestimated) talent, but it is a very beautiful movie that lingers on in your mind long after you have finished watching it. Personally it has affected me a lot, especially the horse sequence. I know this was essential to the film but as an animal lover and vegetarian I found it very distressing - in fact incredibly distressing seeing the horses being treated that way for the sake of the movie. Nevertheless, it added to the movie and when they were set free, it was the most magnificent moment in the movie. Marilyn's screaming part was also very beautiful, I felt her frustration completely.

The Misfits is a very suitable title as it refers to both the poor horses caught up in the web of human greed and also to the restless humans, unsatisfied and cruel. This is a very moving movie, showing the cruelness of human nature and a most realistic portrayal of human life, both the positive and the negative. I was so astounded by both Marilyn and Clark's acting, plus the magnificent script which was so very intelligent, magnificent quotes. I definitely recommend this movie to everyone. 34 of 51 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes The Misfits (1961) Starring: Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift - Three Movie Buffs Review Reviewed on: February 1st, 2001 Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable in The Misfits. Movies are remembered for many different reasons. The best way for a movie to be remembered is if it is good. That is not the case with The Misfits. The Misfits is remembered because of its all-star cast. In fact, The Misfits was the last completed film for Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. Both would be dead within a few years of filming it.

Gable's death has often been attributed to the making of this movie. Even though he was old he did his own stunts for the climactic horse roping scene and it has been suggested that it attributed to his death. On the surface The Misfits tells the story of a recently divorced woman who encounters three needy men who all, in different ways, fall in love with her. Gable is a cowboy drifter with some emotional baggage. Montgomery Clift is a rodeo man with some mother issues. Eli Wallach is a pilot whose wife has recently died. She ends up living with Gable in an unfinished house that Wallach was building for his family. In one interesting scene, Wallach happens to see some photos of a younger Marilyn hanging in a closet. Monroe quickly closes the closet door and dismisses the photos as just something Gable's character put up. The photos are actually real publicity shots of Marilyn from earlier in her career. If you look closer you find that this movie is all about Marilyn's life. Her husband at the time, Arthur Miller, wrote this movie for her. Each of the men in this movie represent one of her real life husbands. Wallach is her first husband when she was still Norma Jean.

Wallach wants her to just be the domesticated wife and stay with him in their home. Clift's character represents Joe Dimagio. He is an athlete in the rodeo instead of the baseball stadium. She fawns over him when he gets hurt and shows genuine concern. Perhaps that was how Miller saw Monroe's and Dimagio's relationship? Gable's character, Gay, represents Miller. Like Miller, Gable is older than Monroe. In one very poignant scene Miller, through Gable, explains his attraction to Monroe. Gable tells Marilyn that she makes men feel alive when they are with her. Any and every Monroe fan should watch this movie. It is full of insights into her life. At least as far as Arthur Miller saw it. For non-fans this is a tedious film to watch. This lengthy drama was shot in black & white and often drags at a snail's pace. In Annie Hall Woody Allen uses a marquee that has The Misfits on it to show that someone Annie was dating was not right for her. This movie stars two of the greatest movie stars of the century.

Gable's nickname was 'The King.' In The Misfits, 'The King.' along with Monroe's sex symbol Queen, bid adieu to a classic era in film history. Made in 1961 The Misfits is a symbolic end to movie stars of the first 50 years of Hollywood. Did you enjoy Eric's review? +16 Reviewed on: May 3rd, 2004 Montgomery Clift in The Misfits. For the most part Eric has written an insightful review of this movie. I disagree only with his statement that for nonfans of Monroe (if there are any) this is a tedious film. It isn't. It is a well-written psychologically complex movie that has some of the greatest acting you will ever see on film. It's true that Miller, as a playwright, writes better for the stage than for the more action-friendly environment of film. But this doesn't detract from the enjoyment level of the movie as long as you are equipped with a reasonable attention span. I always associate this movie with Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

They are similar in mood and pace, were both shot in black & white, both featured major stars doing some of their best work, both films represented a new style and attitude in Hollywood in terms of content and theme, and in both films an inordinate amount of alcohol is consumed. Marilyn represents the ideal woman to the three male 'misfits'. All of them - with only slight variations - tell her that she looks like she was 'just born' or is 'brand new'. She combined innocence with raw sex appeal in a way that no one else has come close to - before or since. In the movie she feels deep empathy and compassion for every living thing. Gable is an aging cowboy who knows his time in the world is nearly up. He doesn't understand - or want to be a part of - the new changing order. In one compelling scene a soused Gable runs out into the street from the bar he and his friends are sitting in and yells for his children. His children are never shown. Arthur Miller leaves it to the audience to decide if he really saw his kids or only imagined he did. Either way it is a sad, sad moment and some of Gable's finest acting.

Clift (who would also die a few years after making this movie) is the black sheep of a wealthy family. As always he exudes a tenderness beneath a tough exterior and a subtle sexual ambiguity. This is probably his finest performance after the car accident that permanently disfigured his face and nearly killed him a few years before. Sadness is the key to The Misfits. Eli Wallach and Thelma Ritter also play important parts in the story. She's the wisecracking - and wise - best friend/mentor to Monroe's childlike yet willful character. Wallach is Gable's sidekick but at the end of the movie he comes close to being a villian. Together they give great support to the three tragic stars at the movies core. John Huston's direction often gets overlooked but it is brilliant. He sets up many great shots especially during the famous horse roping scenes. The final scene in the movie is an iconic screen moment. Gable and Monroe drive off as the sun sets. She asks, 'How do you find your way back in the dark?' He responds, 'Just look for that big star straight on. The highway's under it.

It'll take us right home.' Did you enjoy Patrick's review? +23 Reviewed on: June 13th, 2011 Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable in The Misfits. Eric, I don't know if you read that theory about each of the men in this film representing one of Monroe's husbands or if you made it up yourself, but I'm not buying into it. I think maybe you're such a fan of Monroe's that you're seeing things that aren't there. There are so many things going on below the surface (pretty much everything) here, but about the characters and not Monroe herself. Miller may have written this movie for her, but I don't think he wrote it about her (in the biographical details sense anyway). Personally, I think that the way this movie best captures the essence of Monroe is that we really only see her through the men's eyes. Each of them sees her as they want to see her. She's like a beautiful angel in whom they see themselves reflected as better men, but none of them really see her for her. Not even Miller as he gives each of the male characters much more depth than he gives to her. We learn very few details about Roslyn.

To my mind, it is Gable as Gay who is the real star. Monroe gives one of the finest performances of her career, but Gable outshines her with the greatest, most modern, dramatic acting I've ever seen him do. The drunken scene outside the bar after he claims to have seen his children (to me there's no doubt that he imagined them) and the penultimate one where he cuts the horse loose after wrestling it to the ground are two of his finest acting moments of all time. The symbolism of his letting go of the horse and of the life that he once knew is poignant and powerful. Although there are career performances from its two leads, overall this is a better character study than it is a movie. It's very dry and long and not much happens in it. Patrick, you mention Thelma Ritter's character and I agree she plays an important part of the story. She's almost the only bit of comic relief in the entire movie, but she disappears about halfway through it and is never seen again. This is such a heavy and sad story that her absence is felt as any added lightness would have helped.

Knowing that Monroe, Clift and Gable all died before their time and that all would be dead within a few years of this movie's release adds to the sadness that permeates the story. Perhaps this movie is best remembered because of its famous cast, but deservedly so. Their talent is on full display and they prove that they weren't just celebrities, but also actors of the highest order. Did you enjoy Scott's review? +16 1000+ images about MM 1961 "The Misfits" on Pinterest | Elliott erwitt, Montgomery clift and Marilyn monroe Marilyn on the set of The Misfits. Photo by Eve Arnold, 1960. See More Audience Reviews for The Misfits ½ A film most famous for its on-set turmoil, The Misfits marks a tragic period in film history: it was both Marilyn Monroe' and Clark Gable's last film before their respective deaths, and Monty Cliff had just come off of facial reconstruction surgery following his horrific car accident -- not to mention Huston's well documented alcoholism and the imploding marriage between Monroe and Arthur Miller. When reading about all of the behind-the-scenes problems, one has to marvel that the film even got made.

For me, any film that attempts to demystify the myth of the "Old West" will always be judged against the paramount example of that theme, Midnight Cowboy. To that end, The Misfits falls flat in comparison. Monroe's character's moral compass is broadly drawn and shallow, as are the half-baked themes of individual responsibility and class stratification. Huston's direction, as usual, is smart and lean, but that's about it. Jonathan Hutchings Super Reviewer The struggle of flawed individuals to find a righteous modus vivendi in an unfair and indifferent world. A sense of unity despite the suffering and hopelessness among the characters touches the heart, even more when you know the actors' lives were mirroring what happens in the screen. They were also heading towards the end, and seemed to be accepting that idea, with heartrending melancholy and not without reluctancy. Pierluigi Puccini Super Reviewer This movie is about despair. Despair at the passing of a way of life. Despair at disappointed hopes and dreams. Despair at the loss of a loved one, either through death, divorce or disinterest.

Knowing that going in and you don't mind downbeat films there are some really moving performances from a cast full of legends. jay nixon Super Reviewer Roslyn (Marilyn Monroe) is a more rare bird: flighty and sensuous, beautiful and beaten, she is this world's canary in the coalmine. This is easily Monroe's finest work in a serious role, a tremulous and delicate performance. Gay (Clark Gable) and Roslyn are an unlikely pair, but it is the nature of The Misfits' philosophical fatalism that they are thrust together, their discordant outlooks providing conflict and hinting at thematic resolution. This was the last hurrah for Monroe and Gable. The acting is good, but the storyline is lean. Dean McKenna New footage of Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable revealed - TODAY.com Today.com New footage of Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable revealed 2008-06-02T13:50:23.000Z comment () Never-before-seen footage of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable from behind the scenes of both stars’ final completed film, “The Misfits," was shown for the first time Monday exclusively on TODAY.

Shot by Stanley Kilarr, an extra on the movie, footage from the films will be auctioned off on June 21. It was Kilarr’s five minutes of fame. On the “Misfits” set in northern Nevada, he spent his spare time with a home-movie camera, shooting intimate, behind-the-scenes footage of Monroe and Gable. “They’re just larger than life,” Darren Julien of Julien’s Auctions told TODAY’s Meredith Vieira in speaking of the two screen legends. Although no one knew it at the time, “The Misfits” would be the last film ever made by Gable and the last one finished by Monroe. Three days after the movie wrapped in 1960, Gable suffered his fourth heart attack; 11 days later he was dead at the age of 59. Less than two years later, Monroe was found dead at the age of 36 in her Brentwood, Calif., home, the victim of either a suicide, accidental overdose or, some still insist, a conspiracy. A troubled shoot “The Misfits” was racked by difficulties. Monroe was in the process of breaking up with her husband, playwright Arthur Miller, who wrote the film’s script.

She was battling alcohol and psychological problems, and was frequently late for work or didn’t show up at all. John Huston, the great director, was spending his nights in Reno drinking and gambling. Despite the difficulties during filming, critics agree that the film represents perhaps the best acting performance Monroe ever gave, as well as one of Gable’s best. It was not a commercial success, but “The Misfits” has developed a loyal following over the years. None of the chaos on the set shows up on the 47 minutes of 8 mm color film that Kilarr shot. Considering that he didn’t have much of a role and never uttered a line of dialogue, he got remarkably close to the stars, especially Gable. The silent film includes footage of Kilarr playfully lounging in Gable’s director’s chair. “He had a bit part where he played a drunk in a bar scene,” Julien told Vieira. “He had amazing access all through the film. A lot of the clips are of Clark Gable. You can see Clark’s humored by him.” Unguarded momentsBesides candid moments with Monroe and Gable, Kilarr also shot footage of co-stars Montgomery Clift and Thelma Ritter and director Huston.

The video shows the actors preparing for scenes, chatting with crew members and others on the set, and relaxing between takes. One clip shown on TODAY shows Monroe getting her makeup touched up before a scene. Cathy McCormick, who lives just outside of Reno, was given the film by her father, who inherited it from Kilarr, his uncle, in 1996. She and her husband, Rod, had the films transferred to DVD so they could watch them, but neither are collectors of memorabilia, and they decided that someone who appreciates such things should own the films. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if they could make some money in the process. The McCormicks sent the film to an appraiser who gave them a 62-page report and an estimated value somewhere between $40,000 and $60,000. After they got the appraisal, the couple applied for and received a copyright for the footage. “It greatly increases the value,” Julien said of the copyright, because it gives whoever buys the film the right to reproduce and sell it. The appraised value, he added, didn’t take into account the value of the copyright.

The McCormicks, Julien said, “have been worried about the film because they think it’s high value, and they want to share it with the public.” Julien is offering the Kilarr film as part of an auction of 400 lots of Hollywood memorabilia to be held at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas on June 21. Bidders will also be able to participate online. Cathy McCormick told NBC News she isn’t sure how her great-uncle, who was a blackjack dealer in Reno, got the role as an extra. But she suspects it was because he was a gregarious person who tended to meet a lot of people as part of his job. That amiability shows through near the end of his home movie as he shows off his cowboy hat, which he had signed by all the main actors in the movie. “The Misfits” is the story of Gay Langland (Gable), an aging cowboy who funds his drinking and gambling by rustling mustangs in the desert outside of Reno and selling them to be slaughtered for dog food. Monroe plays Roslyn Taber, a divorcée who finds friendship and a ray of happiness in Langland.

The Misfits Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 95 out of 123 people found the following review useful: A Lesson in Film from San Francisco 1 August 2003 This once nearly forgotten movie, the last film of Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe is now coming forward in the lexicon of film history as an underrated gem. Universally misunderstood for the most part at the time it came out it is clear now that this film was at least five of six years ahead of it's time. It fits in more comfortably with films of the late 60's and early 70's. The screenplay by Miller is one of his most striking works. A story of a group of people lost in the wide expanse of the West in search of the discarded souls of their misspent lives. The film's beautiful cinematography by Russell Metty stands out as superb artistry at the demise of the black and white era. It shimmers with the silver of the deep expanse of the desert and the flat grays and blacks of the distant mountains upon which the last act of the story plays.

The music by Alex North is among his best work and gives a savage punch to the aerial scenes and the round up at the end of the wild mustangs. Montgomery Clift, by now sliding into the last years of his life is touching in his performance of Perce. His broken cowboy with the broken heart is almost painful to watch. His phone call home to his mother is among some of his best work. Eli Wallach gives a strong deeply moving portrait of Guido who has lost his wife, his way, and his humanity. He shines in his scene with Monroe where he asks her to save him. When she can't to at least say `Hello Guido'. Thelma Ritter is, well, Thelma Ritter in yet another of her excellent character roles. Ritter is the master of the one line wisecrack but here as Isobel she laces the cracks with an underlying sadness and vulnerability. As Gay Langland, Clark Gable gives what I consider to be the best performance of his career. It was a brave move for Gable to take on the role of what on the surface seems another one of his typical macho made to fit parts.

But as the story unfolds from Arthur Miller's pen Gay reveals that beneath his gruff, not a care in the world, cowboy is a man in deep pain and despair at his losses. The world has left him behind. Abandoned by his children the drunken Gable breaks so violently it is a shock to watch the great man fall. This is Clark Gable at his finest ever. Marilyn Monroe gives an astounding performance as Roslyn Tabler the newly divorced dancer. A damaged woman who finds in the company of these three men something to finally believe in, something to stand up and fight for, she finds life. It is a performance ground out in part from her own person and experience and in part by the director John Huston and the editor George Tomasini who helped a nearly destroyed Monroe create her stunning Roslyn. This, her last performance is her best and the true example of the collaborative creation that film really is. That Marilyn under the circumstances of her life at that time could be so good is a testament to her talent as an actress and a star. Watch her when she is listening to the other actors. This is where she shines; this is the true mark of a great screen actor.

To be able to listen and draw you into the inner life of the character through that deceptively simple act of listening and reaction is her gift to the audience. Her scene with Monty in back of the bar, sitting on a pile of trash, her afore mentioned scene with Eli Wallach in the speeding car. These are but a few of the examples in this film of her great talent. In the 1950's and early 60's there were only a handful of great young actresses in film, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marilyn Monroe where at the summit of the small mountain. Was the above review useful to you? 72 out of 89 people found the following review useful: Gable and Monroe Are Terrific from United States 14 January 2008 THE MISFITS is a delicate gem of a film, poetic and harsh and as cold as those western stars on the horizon that Gable and Monroe drive toward at film's end. The title refers to the wild mustangs they hunt, but it also describes the 4 main characters, each lost in a world they hardly recognize.

At one point Monroe points to a mountain vista and says "it's like a dream." Each of the characters is wounded and lost in some way. Marilyn Monroe plays a divorcée trying to figure out what to do next. Clark Gable plays a cowboy in a vanishing west. Montgomery Clift plays a rancher cheated out of his legacy when his mother remarries. Eli Wallach plays a guy whose life has come to a standstill after the death of his wife. The characters circle each other, trying to make connections, but their timing is always off. Gable and Monroe seem to find something until they go on the mustang hunt. Gable is magnificent as the aging cowboy who fears "working for wages" as the final sign of giving in to the commonplace and losing the old west. But the old west is, of course, already lost. Most of the action takes place in and around Reno, the perfect symbol for what the west has become. His drunk scene (after he has seen his kids) is astonishing in its pain and ugliness. It's a great performance. Monroe is stunning and gives a quiet and simple performance that shows what she could have done (had she lived).

Leaving her "dumb blonde" persona in the dust, what we get here is Monroe the actress, and she's just plain terrific. Aside from the scene (done in a long shot) where she rages at the men after they have captured the horses, Monroe plays this character very quietly and with lots of small reactions (watch her eyes). It's a great performance. Clift and Wallach do wonders with their characters and provide a lot of the tension since all three men pursue Monroe. Thelma Ritter is solid as Isabelle. Estelle Winwood has an odd role as the old lady collecting money. James Barton and Kevin McCarthy have small roles. I think THE MISFITS is a must see for any serious film buff. The film collapsed under the weight of its publicity in 1961 and there was a huge backlash when Gable died within 2 weeks of finishing the film. Yet the film is gorgeous, a shimmering Arthur Miller poem to the worlds and people we've lost. Was the above review useful to you?

90 out of 130 people found the following review useful: Did Gable really have to die for the making of The Misfits from Buffalo, New York 18 May 2005 I still remember when it was reported Clark Gable had had a heart attack shortly after completing The Misfits. It happened just before Election Day because there was a news item and it's mentioned in at least one Gable biography that he voted by absentee ballot in 1960. Shortly after that he died and the world was waiting the birth of his son and his last posthumous film. No doubt about it Gable does look all of his 59 years in the Misfits. But he's still exudes that gruff animal magnetism that leaves you no doubt as to why Marilyn Monroe was finding him so sexy. It's an interesting and challenging role for Gable, his Gay Langland is a bitter multi-layered character, whose family has deserted him and his way of life is vanishing. All three of the men, Gable, Monty Clift, and Eli Wallach have a deathly fear of working for wages expressed often during The Misfits. For Monty Clift it's more than fear.

He's also bitter about being cheated out of his father's ranch by a stepfather who offers him wages. So he's taken to the rodeo circuit, but he's also past his prime in that dangerous sport. Eli Wallach starts out as what we think is a deep sensitive portrayal, but as we go along we find there's less than meets the eye. He wants Marilyn Monroe real bad (who wouldn't) and it's clear he's just using some of his best lines in his quest for her. Marilyn as eastern divorcée to be serves as the group's conscience when they start going after mustangs for dog food manufacturers. Quite illegally of course, but that's part of the challenge for this group. Lots of shots of Marilyn's bulges both front and rear are another good reason to see this film. Towards the end the wild mustangs on the Nevada desert take over the film from the human actors. They are a kind of doppleganger for this group, they are also misfits with no place in the modern world for them except as canned dog food. Those roping stunts and Clark Gable being dragged by a horse probably put a strain on his cardiovascular system.

It's been written that Marilyn was the cause of his demise. Pure and utter nonsense. I can't believe John Huston the director let him do those scenes. Why wasn't a stunt double used? Marilyn Monroe was one royal pain to work with, what with all of her issues, but that surely had nothing to do with what happened to Gable. The Misfits still holds up well after over 40 years. All of the cast can be proud of their work in that film. Was the above review useful to you? 66 out of 93 people found the following review useful: The Misfits is an overlooked Cinematic Gem. from Louisville, Kentucky 21 June 2003 The Misfits is famous for being the last completed film of two cultural icons, Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. It brings the two famous stars into the then current year of 1961. This is a movie about a woman in Reno, Nevada (where else?) who is there to get a divorce.

On a whim (she makes up her mind fast!) she drives out to the desert on the day of her divorce with a washed out aging cowboy (Clark Gable) and his buddy (Eli Wallach) as well as her friend (Thelma Ritter). This begins a wistful adventure and sometimes sad relationship for her with the cowboy and his misfit friends (including Montgomery Clift). They grapple with life's issues from divorce, friendship, greed and even cruelty until finally, everyone's character and philosophy of life is laid bare in a showdown over 6 wild horses. This is an underrated cinematic gem...and I can see why. The first time I saw this movie a few years ago I thought it was beautiful and well done but sad and too depressing with a vague ending. Recently, I couldn't pass it by because of it's place in movie history when I saw it on DVD for just $5.88! What a shock I got watching this one on my big screen TV in the original widescreen format in glorious black and white. It was so fantastically fascinating from beginning to end that I watched it twice in a row.

Marilyn Monroe is an amazing actress and she brings Rosalyn Tabor to life in this film. She's riveting and not because of her fantastic looks. What a thrill! Clark Gable inhabits his character Gay like he's in his own skin, making him a man you can respect and sympathize with. Montgomery Clift, Eli Wallach and Thelma Ritter are all incredible in their roles. I don't know how I missed so much the first time I saw this move. It has humor, pathos and drama. The great John Houston directs it brilliantly! The cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking and the editing is sheer genius. It's an overlooked cinematic gem and I recommend it! Watch it twice if you're don't see the joy and hope in this film the first time. It's there! This crew hs created a near mastepiece. Keep following that same bright star. I rate this a 91/100. Don't miss seing it in the widescreen format on a big screen TV. Was the above review useful to you?

56 out of 83 people found the following review useful: Down and Out in Nevada from Arizona 30 July 2003 Two of the previous comments have it right about Nevada. It is without question the most barren of places in terms of the sustenance of human life, yet it has a rare beauty that transcends the ugliness of its crass cities and radioactive vistas. The fact that it encompasses an entirely landlocked basin in which great rivers roar down to disappear in dry lakebeds speaks to the main point. Pristine alpine meadows form islands in the sky surrounded by millions of acres of desolation. When I first saw "The Misfits" in 1961, after having read the savage reviews and followed the sensational press coverage of its production, my initial reaction was that most people just missed the point. I still think so, particularly after reading some of the negative comments here that parrot accepted wisdom about filmmaking in general and what is perceived as a misfire by Miller and Huston. But I have news for the naysayers: this film tells it like it is. So what if it's a stage play set in the desert?

So what if the characters devolve and come apart according to some apparently hidden hand of random fate? Those who get the story right are those who see past what seem at first to be surreal clichés existing only as fodder for the cameras and instead grasp the horror and ugliness of what passes as everyday life for the eponymous ensemble. Nothing happens, and yet everything happens. Gable, Monroe, Clift. Arthur Miller himself. Figures that seem larger than life. This has little to do with horses and everything to do with the tragedy of Everyman. Was the above review useful to you? 43 out of 61 people found the following review useful: Stands Alone Author: kinolieber 21 April 2001 This is a one of a kind film experience which has taken on even more depth with our hindsight into the lives of its creators. Written by Monroe's then husband, Arthur Miller, and produced as their marriage was ending, it provides Monroe with the role of her life. There are many great moments in the film, the most famous being her tirade against the cruelty and dishonesty of the men in her life.

You will never forget her cries of "Murderers!" , even more horrifying now, given the suspicions surrounding her death. But for me the most unforgettable moment takes place in the cab of the truck when Eli Wallach's character offers to save the lives of some horses if she will give up the man she is with and live with him. The look on her face changes from hope to horror as she realizes he's bartering the horses' lives for hers: "You have to GET something in order to act human?!" she spits out at him. It's a great script, cast perfectly, and speaks as sadly and as eloquently to us now as it did forty years ago. Was the above review useful to you? 45 out of 65 people found the following review useful: Everybody's gonna die from Argentina 9 December 2006 To view "The Misfits" in 2006 turns out to be quite a chilling experience. Prophetically in its "doomness" - personal doomness that is. Arthur Miller writes, unwittingly, his wife's swan song and she sings it with a combination of uppers and downers. Pay attention to Eli Wallach describing Marilyn to Clark Gable.

Was that Miller himself being particularly misogynistic or what hell was it? She talks about herself, they all talk about her. She is a hurricane right in the middle of a human storm. Montgomery Clift seems to be talking about himself too. The whole bloody thing is really close to the knuckle. Arid, depressing, slow and yet, riveting, funny, mesmerizing. "The Misfits" should be seen for a variety of reasons but to see Gable and Monroe sharing a black and white screen a short time before their deaths is an experience on itself. Was the above review useful to you? 29 out of 34 people found the following review useful: Huston's film established Marilyn Monroe as a dramatic sensuous actress...

from Mexico 6 April 2008 "The Misfits" is literally about four people who don't fit into society A divorcée (Monroe) meets cowboy Langland (Gable), who is getting too old for his job They decide to live together A former rodeo star (Clift) and an unemployed mechanic (Wallach) join in the drifting Huston's masculine images are stripped of their former glory, existing only one rough exterior which fails to conceal what has been lost Eventually the men agree to round up wild mustangs for a dog food manufacturer Scenes of the trio and Monroe speeding across the prairie in a beaten-up truck, raising a hurricane of dust while attempting to rope the stallions, are the strongest evocations of lost souls wandering in time Huston's film established Marilyn Monroe as a dramatic sensuous actress, thus liberating her from a decade of steamy cheesecake roles in sexy comedies Was the above review useful to you? 39 out of 54 people found the following review useful: Excellent acting and profound script from Los Angeles, CA 29 February 2000 I've always wanted to see this movie because of the legendary actors associated with it and yesterday I finally rented it.

I can't say it is an entertaining movie, but it is certainly profound and stays with you. Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift were all wonderful. There is something extra poignant about the casting of these three actors. It is like "misfits" playing misfits. Knowing that it is Clark Gable's and Marilyn Monroe's last film added to the aura of finality at the end. Marilyn Monroe definitely does not get the credit she deserves as the fine actress she was. Even her character is trying to get beyond the external first impression she makes on men. It is the first film I've seen of Montgomery Clift's. What a fine actor! He brought enormous depth to his character--much of which was portrayed without speaking. Once again, if you're looking for an entertaining film, you may be disappointed. If you're looking for an interesting blend of characters who, in many ways, are mirrors of the actors playing them, then rent the Misfits. It is packed with stars but not with glitzy star quality, just no-holds-barred, uninhibited acting. Was the above review useful to you?

34 out of 51 people found the following review useful: Hauntingly Beautiful from Perth, WA 19 May 2006 The Misfits, the last film of Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe, is a truly haunting film that never leaves you long after you've finished watching it. Despite having a poor box office and mixed reviews, it is now highly regarded among modern critics. It is about a restless fragile divorcée finding a new life in Reno with a couple of cowboys, one of which has a gambling problem and survives on slaughtering mustangs to make dog food. Not only does this showcase Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable's exceptional (and often underestimated) talent, but it is a very beautiful movie that lingers on in your mind long after you have finished watching it. Personally it has affected me a lot, especially the horse sequence. I know this was essential to the film but as an animal lover and vegetarian I found it very distressing - in fact incredibly distressing seeing the horses being treated that way for the sake of the movie. Nevertheless, it added to the movie and when they were set free, it was the most magnificent moment in the movie.

Marilyn's screaming part was also very beautiful, I felt her frustration completely. The Misfits is a very suitable title as it refers to both the poor horses caught up in the web of human greed and also to the restless humans, unsatisfied and cruel. This is a very moving movie, showing the cruelness of human nature and a most realistic portrayal of human life, both the positive and the negative. I was so astounded by both Marilyn and Clark's acting, plus the magnificent script which was so very intelligent, magnificent quotes. I definitely recommend this movie to everyone. Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 13: Gable's Influence on Marilyn Monroe - Classic Film Gable's Influence on Marilyn Monroe Guest Author - Amber Grey When Marilyn Monroe was a young girl, only known as Norma Jean, her mother gave her a picture of Clark Gable and told the impressionable youth that the actor was in fact her father. As the actress matured, she would realize that the King of Hollywood was not her real father, but Gable did become a father figure in her life and worked with him on their last film, "The Misfits" (1961).

According to Donald Spoto's biography, "Marilyn Monroe: The Biography", Gable and Monroe met once before in 1954, seven years before they would make "The Misfits" at a gala. That night, she danced with Gable and confessed to her that she admired him her whole life and would like to do a picture with him. To her surprise, Gable said he had seen her film "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953) and thought she had "the magic" in her. Flash forward seven years later to "The Misfits" (1961). The script was written by Marilyn's third husband Arthur Miller and was supposed to be the film that would reconcile their differences as a couple. As for the role Marilyn played, as "Rosalyn Tabor", she made another spectacular performance. But for Marilyn, the role was a living nightmare with Miller pulling dialogue that was inspired by her dark childhood and other memories of her life which made "The Misfits" an instance of art imitating life.

And if that were the case, the casting took an ironic twist of fate when Clark Gable, Marilyn's father figure from her childhood was cast as her character's love interest, "Gay." Although Marilyn was wise to Miller's act of using her life to fill the page and screen, it made the actress miserable on set. So miserable in fact, that in August while the film was in production, Marilyn was rushed to the hospital for exhaustion and stayed for ten days. It was a tough shoot not only for her but for everyone else involved including Clark Gable, who at the age of 59, insisted on doing his own stunts. He would pass the time that would be spent waiting for Marilyn to show up on set, performing those stunts for the camera. In on-set pictures that have now been released to the public, we are given the impression that although the cast looks worn and tired, Gable and Marilyn looked as though they were completely comfortable with each other as co-stars.

Amid the negative remarks other co-stars have said about Marilyn, Gable only had this to say about her, "Everything Marilyn does is different than any other woman, strange and exciting, from the way she talks to the way she uses that magnificent torso." However it was the day after the film wrapped, Gable suffered a heart attack that landed him in the hospital. Immediately following the news, the press made malicious attempts at blaming Marilyn for Gable's failing health because of her reported lateness to the sets, therefore making Gable wait long hours. The words poisoned Marilyn's sensitive heart with guilt at the time while she was in the middle of settling her divorce from Miller and from the news of her co-star's well being. It didn't help matters much when, as Gable recuperated, he suffered another heart attack that proved fatal. Now, it was Gable's pregnant wife Kay Williams who laid the blame on Marilyn for Gable's untimely death. It would not be until Gable's funeral, which Marilyn attended, that Kay would apologize to her and invite Marilyn to the christening of Gable's son, which the actress attended.

Unfortunately, "The Misfits" (1961) would be the final film both of the two stars would finish in their careers. Two years later, the beautiful Marilyn Monroe would pass away at the age of 36 with a cause of death that has spurred conspiracy theorists abound. The passing of these two Hollywood icons would make a permanent stamp on the final sequence in the film when Gable and Monroe are riding off into the mountain range under a beautiful sky. The Misfits review – Gable and Monroe’s uneasy swansong | Film | The Guardian The Misfits review – Gable and Monroe’s uneasy swansong 3 / 5 stars Cowboy Clark Gable and divorcee Marilyn Monroe team up with Montgomery Clift in this bleak drama of estrangement scripted by Arthur Miller Jarring: Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits.

Photograph: Allstar/Seven Arts Sunday 14 June 2015 03.00 EDT Last modified on Thursday 15 December 2016 08.02 EST Share on Messenger Close “If I’m going to be alone, I want to be by myself.” This reissue of what became the last film for both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe (Something’s Got to Give was unfinished) looks even starker and more jarringly isolated today than it did in 1961. Monroe plays the newly divorced waif who meets up with Gable’s grizzled cowboy in Reno. Together, they head off to a ramshackle Nevada cabin to “just live” for a while, teaming up with Montgomery Clift’s damaged rodeo rider who accompanies them on the film’s almost unbearably bleak mustang round-up. The shoot was troubled; Monroe and Clift seem to be falling apart before our very eyes, John Huston directs through a fog of bitterness and booze, and Arthur Miller’s script reeks of estrangement and misunderstanding – both literal and literary. On the last night of his life, Clift was asked if he wanted to watch The Misfits on TV.

His reply? “Absolutely not!” Amazon.com: The Misfits: Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Thelma Ritter: Amazon Digital Services LLC By DVW on November 24, 2013 Format: Amazon Video Verified Purchase So much history here. The credits are as formidable as you'll ever find: a play by Arthur Miller, directed by John Huston. Russell Metty as DP, Alex North composing the terrific score. The perfomers: Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Eli Wallach, Thelma Ritter. For Gable and Monroe, "The Misfits" would be their last; for Clift, his third-to-last. Monroe and Miller were divorcing during the shoot, and Miller was quickly rewriting his original play in order to take these personal changes into account. Especially in the first half, there's a lot of talk about divorce: Monroe's Roslyn is in fact getting a divorce when the movie starts. The larger theme around all this is how that we don't really know our loved ones and partners as intimately as we might think.

The movie is about a group of misfits in the larger society -- cowboys stuck in the wrong century, or naive angels in a cynical, lustful, bloody world -- but they're also misfits in their personal relationships. It goes so far as to suggest that even spouses are misfitted to each other at the core. And there's some truth (if not the whole truth) to that idea. Miller and Monroe were misfitted to each other, for example. The movie's name refers to the cast, too. Take Montgomery Clift. Miller worked Clift's horrible accident obliquely into the script. "Naw, Ma, my face is fine, it's all healed up," he tells his mother on the phone in one scene. Later, there's a scene where he's lying in Monroe's lap, his head bandaged from getting thrown by a horses and bulls in the Reno rodeo, while he talks about his mother. Audiences would be reminded of Clift's car crash and how Elizabeth Taylor had rushed to the scene and had cradled him in much the same way. Read more ›

Question: Made in 1961, what was the last film of both Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable?
Answer: THE MISFITS